More than 30 years of Khmer extracurricular training
The Southern Pali Intermediate Cultural Supplementary School in Soc Trang, now in Soc Trang Ward, Can Tho City) is a special educational institution for the growth of Khmer Buddhism.
The school was established in 1994 under the proposal of the late Mr. Huynh Cuong - Member of the 7th Party Central Committee, Deputy Head of the Party Central Committee for Ethnic Minorities, Head of the Southern Ethnic Minorities Subcommittee to meet the educational needs of the Khmer community. From the beginning, the People's Committee of Soc Trang province ensured the entire operating budget.
On December 25, 2004, the school was handed over by the Provincial People's Committee to the Ministry of Education and Training, then in 2007, the Ministry transferred it to the locality for management. When it was first established, the school only had 4 classrooms, 1 office and 36 dormitories on a small campus. During the development process, the school has invested in building a military area, classrooms, laboratories, dormitories, libraries and dining rooms. Khleang Pagoda donated more than 8,110 m2 of land, creating a new, spacious and solemn facility.
The school has 4 new spacious areas with a total of 85 classrooms, dormitories, libraries, kitchens and ancillary works, ensuring amenities for students.
In 2005, the Ministry of Education and Training directed the compilation of textbooks on Khmer Literature and Pali language, as a training foundation for many generations to increase. The scene combines the regular education program of junior high school and high school with the major of Pali and Khmer. Each training course is 5 years, students who meet the requirements are granted a high school diploma, Pali Intermediate certificate and Khmer Literature at the secondary school.
Over the past 30 years, the school has received 1,395 additional students, trained 27 courses with 841 graduates, and for many consecutive years the high school graduation rate has reached 100%. Former students hold positions as religious cadres, teachers, journalists, cultural cadres or highly educated, contributing to the economic, social development and cultural preservation of the Southern region.
According to Mr. Danh Men, Deputy Head of the Department of Social Affairs - Khmer - Pali, the school reasonably allocates between general education and specialized programs, language support and practice of Binh Thuong Khmer - Vietnamese translation, helping students grasp basic knowledge and translation after graduation.
Student Tran Thieu (grade 12) said that the school creates good conditions for accommodation, food, and scholarships; teachers are friendly, applying modern methods and digital technology, helping students study effectively in a positive environment.
Spreading the Khmer language in the community
In recent years, the Southern Pali Intermediate Cultural Supplementary School has not only provided additional training but also participated in developing a primary Pali program for Khmer Buddhist pagodas in Soc Trang province, training Pali teachers; and coordinated the training of Khmer language Pedagogy at college and university levels. Implementing the Khmer language training project of the Soc Trang Provincial Party Committee, the school organized 6 training courses for 1,557 students, opening training classes for armed forces and civil servants.
The school also focuses on building a safe and disciplined educational environment with the "4 no, 4 yes" model (no fire, explosion; no property theft; no participation in social evils; no bad guys taking advantage of". 4 have: "Answered about participating in traffic; have a sense of cultural behavior on social networking sites; have a sense of implementing disease prevention and control; have a sense of environmental protection".
Mr. Thach Song - Principal of the Southern Pali Intermediate School for Cultural Supplement said that the school prioritizes improving the quality of facilities and boarding facilities so that students can study with peace of mind, while promoting the application of information technology in teaching, towards a modern educational model, keeping up with ethnic boarding schools and educational institutions in the area.
With the increasing demand for students, the school is oriented to open more large-scale classes in the coming time.
